Infidel
In the New Testament the word translated infidel is apistos[1] which is the negative form of pistos[2] the common Greek word for faithful.
- 2 Corinthians 6:15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?
- 1 Timothy 5:8 But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.
The same word apistos is used by Jesus and often seen in Corinthians and other books of the Bible referring to those who were faithless or unbelieving.[1]
This would mean that in 1 Corinthians 10:27 Paul is asking "If any infidel <571>" calls you to eat with him you do not have to ask where it came from but of you find out it is from that which was "offered in sacrifice unto idols" we should not eat or consume it.[3]
Paul then asks why is his liberty dependent upon another man's conscience.[4] His explanation can be one of those things that is some times hard to understand if you do not understand what it means to do things to the "glory of God".[5]
We need to read 1 Corinthians 10:27 not only in the context of what followed it but in what proceeded it. Paul is speaking to men as if they are wise man about the daily bread they share as the communion of the body of Christ as one nation, Israel, as partakers from one altar of sacrifice.[6]
After talking about the altar of the body of Christ in verse 19 Paul speaks of the sacrifice to idols which he says is to devils[7] which establishes a fellowship with devils.[7]
The next 2 verses seems to contain very specific instructions that you cannot eat and drink at the table of what Paul calls daimonion and translated "devils" and "god"[7]. That table was like the social safety net of Sumer, Babylon, Egypt, and the free bread of Caesar. For centuries these systems run by rulers who call themselves benefactors but exercise authority were supposed to be for our welfare but were a snare and a trap according to Proverbs, Peter, David, and Paul.[8]
Those who eat at the table of the Lord are a part of the communion of the body of Christ which is provided by freewill offerings in the form of charity through pure religion rather than the legal charity of public religion.
It is this difference of the means and method of these to divergent systems that was the bases of the Christian conflict which brought the persecutions. The means and method of one system is contrary to the means and method of the other. They will produce different outcomes, one liberty, the other bondage. One is composed of the faithful the other is composed of infidels who may imagine they are the faithful, the believers, and even saved but are under a strong delusion and even workers of iniquity.
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 571 ἄπιστος apistos [ap’-is-tos] from 1 (as a negative particle) and 4103 pistos; adj; TDNT-6:174,849; [{See TDNT 634 }] AV-that believe not 6, unbelieving 5, faithless 4, unbeliever 4, infidel 2, thing incredible 1, which believe not 1; 23
- 1) unfaithful, faithless, (not to be trusted, perfidious)
- 2) incredible
- 2a) of things
- 3) unbelieving, incredulous
- 3a) without trust (in God) Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "apistos" defined multiple times with different content
- 3a) without trust (in God) Cite error: Invalid
- ↑ 4103 ~πιστός~ pistos \@pis-tos’\@ from 3982; adj AV-faithful 53, believe 6, believing 2, true 2, faithfully 1, believer 1, sure 1; not tr 1; 67
- 1) trusty, faithful
- 1a) of persons who show themselves faithful in the transaction of business, the execution of commands, or the discharge of official duties
- 1b) one who kept his plighted faith, worthy of trust
- 1c) that can be relied on
- 2) easily persuaded
- 2a) believing, confiding, trusting
- 2b) in the NT one who trusts in God’s promises
- 2b1) one who is convinced that Jesus has been raised from the dead
- 2b2) one who has become convinced that Jesus is the Messiah and author of salvation
- 1) trusty, faithful
- ↑ 1 Corinthians 10:28 But if any man say unto you, This is offered in sacrifice unto idols, eat not for his sake that shewed it, and for conscience sake: for the earth [is] the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof:
- ↑ 1 Corinthians 10:29 Conscience, I say, not thine own, but of the other: for why is my liberty judged of another [man’s] conscience?
- ↑ 1 Corinthians 10:30 For if I by grace be a partaker, why am I evil spoken of for that for which I give thanks(eucharisteo)?31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
- ↑ 15 ¶ I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say. 16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? 17 For we [being] many are one bread, [and] one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread. 18 Behold Israel after the flesh: are not they which eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar?
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 1140 δαιμόνιον daimonion [dahee-mon’-ee-on] neuter of a derivative of 1142; n n; TDNT-2:1,137; [{See TDNT 169 }] AV-devil 59, god 1; 60
- 1) the divine power, deity, divinity
- 2) a spirit, a being inferior to God, superior to men
- 3) evil spirits or the messengers and ministers of the devil
- ↑ Destroyers of liberty
- "That the man who first ruined the Roman people twas he who first gave them treats and gratuities. But this mischief crept secretly and gradually in, and did not openly make it's appearance in Rome for a considerable time." Plutarch's Life of Coriolanus (c. 100 AD.) This would include Julius Caesar and eventually Augustus Caesar which is why Plutarch also reported, “The real destroyers of the liberties of the people is he who spreads among them bounties, donations, and benefits.” This was a major theme of the Bible:
- There were tables of welfare which were both snares and a traps as David and Paul stated and Peter warned would make us merchandise and curse children. Proverbs 23 told us not to not eat the "dainties" offered at those tables of Rulers and Paul says in 1 Corinthians 10 we cannot eat of those tables and the table of the Lord. We are not to consent to their covetous systems of One purse or Corban which makes the word of God to none effect.
- We know when the masses become accustomed to those benefits of legal charity which are the rewards of unrighteousness provided by benefactors who exercise authority and the Fathers of the earth through the covetous practices that makes men merchandise and curse children as a surety for debt.